Sweet Bait Lures Malaria Mosquitoes

Powerful bait effectively attracts and kills malaria-infected mosquitoes but is completely harmless to humans, other animals

Israeli researchers say they have developed a powerful bait that effectively attracts and kills malaria-infected mosquitoes but is completely harmless to humans and other animals.

The toxic sugar bait developed by scientists at Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem is made with a combination of fruit juice essences, which are attractive to mosquitoes, and boric acid – a mild, inorganic powder that kills insects when they ingest it.

In experiments in a semi-arid region of Mali, in West Africa, the bait – in this case a blend of boric acid with guava and honey-melon fragrances – was applied using a hand sprayer on the vegetation near a cluster of man-made ponds. These ponds are important dry-season water supplies for local villagers and their livestock. They are also breeding grounds for Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito that carries the most deadly form of malaria.

For comparison, investigators sprayed grasses and leaves near other ponds with a solution of sweet fragrances only. Both baits contained a dye that marked any mosquito making contact, so scientists could count how many had actually fed on the lure.

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